Repeater for phonographs



May 27, 1941. i J. L ou 2,243,126

REPEATER FOR PHONOGRAPHS' Filed'March 27, 1939 k x 07;) Q 2 Q g 21IINVENTOR:

' JOScph LRouZm/ ATTORNEY May 27, 1941. J. L. ROUT IN I 2,243,125

REPEATER FOR PHONOGRAPHS Filed March 27, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FE- VIII!1 NTOR;

BY ATTORNEY Patented May 27, 1941 REPEATER FOR PHONOGRAPHS Joseph LouisRoutin, Paris, France Application March 27, 1939, Serial No. 264,431 InFrance June 8, 1938 5 Claims.

The invention relates to sound reproducing apparatus and moreparticularly to the application of such apparatus to the study of, say,foreign languages by utilization of the two main principles ofsubdividing and repeating. The principal object of the invention is toprovide an apparatus which renders it possible on the one hand tointerrupt suddenly the audition of a record at any desired moment andfor any desired period and, on the other hand, to insure that theaudition can be taken up again at any predetermined point on the record.It is a further object to provide apparatus of this class which can bereadily adapted to sound reproducing machines generally and this with aminimum of modification of such machines so that it can readily beapplied to all types of existing machines.

Simplicity, ease of manufacture, long life and low cost are otherobjects attained by the apparatus forming the subject of the invention.

These objects are attained by providing a device for use with a soundreproducing machine which renders it possible to obtain the repetitionof any part of a sound record, such device comprising a thin, narrowstrip extending across the record substantially at right angles to thesound grooves therein and provided with guiding means cooperating withparts on the reproducer or pick-up of the machine to enable, by theproper manipulation of the strip, the sound box and needle to be liftedoff the record to stop the audition, to be returned to the startingposition for the repetition of a desired passage, and to be returned toplaying position on the record without shock to repeat the desiredpassage, all this being possible while the motor is running.

The strip is also provided with fine adjustment means for adjusting itin the direction of its length and with means for supporting it in itsraised position with the needle lifted off the record or in its loweredplaying position.

Other and further objects and advantages and the means by which they areattained will become apparent from the following detailed descriptionwhen read in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective View of a sound reproducing machineequipped with the device according to'one form of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view on an enlarged scale of the device asshown in Fig. 1.

Figs. 3 and 4 are similar side elevational views,

parts being shown ins'ection, Fig. 3 showing the parts in the playingposition and Fig. 4 showing the parts in a position interrupting theaudition.

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the inner end portion of the repeaterstrip.

Figs. 6 and 7 are fragmentary sectional elevations taken, respectively,on the lines 66 and 1-! of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary elevational view, parts being shown in section,of a form of guide and support for the outer end of the repeater strip.

Fig. 9 shows in side elevation, parts being in section, a modified formof support for the outer end of the strip.

Fig. 10 is a similar View of a third modification of the support.

Fig. 11 is a side elevational view similar to Fig. 3 and 4, except thatit is taken from the opposite ends of the reproducer, showing a modifiedform of supporting arm applied to the reproducer.

In the drawings, the invention is shown applied to a sound reproducingmachine of the rotating ,di-sc type in which the casing or cabinet ofthe machine is designated by the numeral It, the revolving table by H,the record disc by l2, the transversely swinging tone arm by l 3, theliftable reproducer or sound box by M, the driving spindle by I5,indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, all of' these parts being of anycsual or known form.

With the sound box I4 is associated a lifting arm I 6, which, in theform of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 4, may form. part of a needleassembly unit consisting of a block I1, having a needle l8 clampedwithin an opening therein by the clamping screw H3. The lifting arm I6may comprise a bent rod fixed to the block 1! and having a straightportion is projecting upwardly therefrom which may extend into the usualneedle receiving opening on the reproducer and be clamped therein by theusual clamping screw 20. It will be understood that the needle assemblyis located with respect to the usual needle receiving socket on thereproducer in a definite fixed angular relation, so that the needle andlifting arm will always be in their proper cooperative relation to therepeater strip now to be described.

The repeater strip is designated generally by the reference character Rand forms the main element of the invention. As shown, it may consist ofa thin metallic strip 2! having at its widened inner end and an opening22, within which is rotatably mounted an adjusting button 23 having agraduated scale 24 thereon cooperating with a fixed index 25 on thestrip 2|, see Fig. 2. The button 23 is preferably held by light frictionfrom rotating in the opening 22. Shoulders 25 and. 21 and a stop screw28 preferably limit the rotation of the button to a predetermined arc,see Fig. 5. For convenience in manufacture the button 23 may have itspivot portion and its body portion made separately and secured togetherand to the strip 2| by screws as 29.

To space the end of the strip from the record the pivot portion of thebutton is provided with a shallow boss 30, this boss being locatedeccentrically with respect to the axis of rotation of the button and,concentric with this boss, the button is provided with an opening 3|adapted to fit the driving spindle l5 of the machine. To allow a slightlifting of the free end of the strip 21 for a purpose to be described,the opening 3| is preferably tapered or otherwise formed (not shown) toprevent binding with the spindle.

The strip 21 for the width of the playing portion of the record isformed on what may be termed its forward edge, having regard to thedirection of rotation of the record as indicated by the arrow J in Fig.2, with a series of V notches formed by projections A, B, C, etc. Thisforward edge of the strip through this notched region is preferablycurved on an arc corresponding to the are described by the needle 7 inmoving from the outer margin to the inner of the playing portion of therecord. The strip is normally arranged generally parallel to thisarcuate path and in close adjacency to said path of the needle, so thatthe lifting arm I6 has its free end, in all playing positions of thereproducer, disposed above the strip. Opposite the series of notchesformed by projections A, B, etc., the strip is formed with acorresponding series of grooves 11, b, 0, etc., closed at the bottom andcooperating with the series of notches A, B, C in a manner to bedescribed in guiding the needle to the starting position of theaudition.

For convenience of manufacture the notches and grooves may be formed ona separate metallic strip 32 which is suitably fastened as by screws 33to the top of the strip 2|.

To locate and guide the free end of the strip 2| which preferablyprojects a considerable distance beyond the record to provide a handleportion 34, there is arranged between the handle portion and the cabineta supporting and guiding strip 35 having, in this instance, anupstanding portion 36 provided with a horizontal slot 31 and I a baseflange 38 through which it may be secured to the cabinet ID as by screws39. The slot 31 is deepened vertically at one end so that the bottom ofthe slot forms a low portion 40 and a high portion 4| corresponding tothe positions shown respectively in Figs. 3 and 4.

To stabilize the strip laterally and to avoid tipping of the same, it isprovided at its inner end on the side opposite the boss 30 with block 42having rounded ends and of a depth approximately equal to the depth ofthe boss. This block is faced with a soft yielding nraterial, such asleather, to avoid marring the record and may be secured by a screw- 43to strip 2|.

The eccentricity of the mounting of the button 23 and the degree of itsangular movement is preferably such that the endwise displacement of theslide may be slightly greater than the distance between two projectionsA, B, C, etc. It will be seen that the adjusting button thus providesfor very accurately determining the starting point of an audition.

In such longitudinal adjustment of the slide while the record is playingand the slide therefore rests at the low portion 40 of the slot 31, itis desirable that the angular relation of the slide to the record bemaintained and to this end the slide is guided at its outer end throughthe curved side edge portions 44 and 45, see Fig. 2, between the sidewalls of the low portion of the slot.

The operation of the device will now be briefly described. With the freeend of the slide resting on the high portion of the slot 4| of thesupporting and guiding plate 35 and the sound box held in the raisedposition with the needle off the record, as shown in Fig. 4, through theengagement of the lifting arm IS with the top of the repeater strip R,and the needle projecting into the desired notch on the forward edge ofthe repeater strip, the free end of the strip is grasped by the hand andmoved to the vertically deep portion of the slot and then graduallylowered to rest on the portion 40. In this lowering movement the needleis lowered on the record as shown in Fig. 3 and the audition iscommenced. While the audition is taking place, the strip R is heldslightly raised above the surface of the record by the three-pointsupport afforded by boss 311, block 42 and low portion 40 of the slot inthe supporting strip 35, so as to avoid marring the record or retardingits rotation. At this time also the end of the lifting arm 16, whilelocated above the strip, is slightly spaced therefrom, as shown in Fig.3.

If the audition is now desired to be suspended before the needle hastravelled beyond the selected notch in the strip R, the operator graspsthe handle portion 34 of the strip and lifts it thus lifting the needleoff the record, as shown in Fig. 4. By then moving the strip into thehigh portion 4! of the slot 31, the V-notch opposite the needle guidesthe needle to the bottom of the notch, but before this takes place theend of the lifting arm drops into into the V-groove opposite the givennotch and this V- groove then guides the arm, when the strip R is movedin the opposite direction, to deposit the needle on the record at thestarting point, when the strip is again lowered to the position shown inFig. 3. Thus the same passage may be repeated as often as desired bysimply repeating this operation.

If it is desired to start the audition a few Words or a sentenceearlier, this can be done by turning the adjusting button 23 the desiredamount and thus advancing the point at which the needle is again loweredon the record, by the amount of the adjustment.

It will be understood that the sound box and needle may be swung alongthe repeater strip R, to any desired point on the record at any timewhile the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 3, but with the stripraised to lift the needle off the record, the end of the lifting arm Itthen sliding along the repeater in the space between the series ofnotches and grooves.

Thus it will be seen that any selected part of p the record may berepeated by the simple operations above described.

In Fig. 9, is shown an alternative means to that shown in Fig. 8 forholding the free end of the strip 2| in lowered position correspondingto the position shown in Fig. 3 and for adjusting this position asdesired, for example, to adapt the device to difierent machines ordifferent thickness of records. This means may comprise a screw threadedrod 46 threaded through a threaded opening 41 in strip 2|, the lower endof this rod being provided with a foot piece 41' which is adapted torest on the side wall 48 of the cabinet 43. To facilitate the adjustmentof the screw rod, the outer periphery of the foot piece may be knurled(not shown). A nut 49 is screwed on the upper end of the rod 35 to limitthe height of the raised position of the repeater strip. This nut canremain fixed once the device has been adjusted for the proper height.

In Fig. is shown a still further modification of the supporting andguiding means for the free end of the strip 2!. In this case, a slottedvertical plate 55 is supported from the top of the cabinet ID throughlinks 5| and 52 pivoted respectively to the ends of the plate and tobrackets 53 and 54 secured to the top of the cabinet. Stop pins 55 onbracket 54 limit the movement of the link 52 and link 5! is extended toform a handle 56 through which the plate can be readily moved from oneposition to the other to raise and lower the strip 2| which extendsthrough the slot in the plate 50. shown wider than the strip and thestrip is yieldingly held at one end of the slot by a light spring 5'!operating through a U-shaped slide 58 upon the strip, the slide 58 beingguided in brackets 59 on plate 59. This form of the device lends itselfto automatic operation, for by using a cam governed by the motor of thetalking machine for actuating the lever 56, any number of repetitionscould be automatically effected. Such an automatic control is shown anddescribed in my copending application Serial No. 108,987. The levercould also be operated by some other form of remote control not governedby the motor of the machine.

In Fig. 11 is shown an alternative to the form shown in Figs. 1, 3 and4, for lifting the sound box I4. In this case, an angular lifting arm 60which may be of sheet metal, is secured through one of its arms to theside of the sound box M as by screws 5|, its other arm having its freeend arranged opposite the usual needle [8 of the sound box in positionto cooperate with the needle in guiding the same through theircooperation with the V notches and grooves hereinbefore described.

While a specific form of the device and several modifications have beenherein described, it will be understood that further modifications maybe made by those skilled in this art without departing from the spiritand scope of the claims appended hereto.

What I claim is:

1. In a repeater device to be used with a sound reproducing machineincluding a casing, a driven The slot is rotary table supported therebyon a vertical spindle having its upper end projecting above the table, arecord disc having a central hole therethrough and a spiral sound trackon the face thereof supported on said table for rotation therewith, areproducer carrying a needle for engagement with the sound track of therecord, said reproducer and needle being mounted on said casing forhorizontal movement across the face of the record and for verticalmovement to raise the needle off the record, the combination. of alifting rod secured to the reproducer and having its free end locatedsome distance above the record, and a thin narrow strip extendinglengthwise generally parallel to the path of movement of said needle andunder the end of the lifting rod, said strip being longer than theradius of said disc, one end of said strip having a socket therein intowhich the spindle of said rotary table is adapted to extend and theother end being formed as a handle to be grasped by the operator, saidstrip having a series of transverse generally radially outwardlyinclined grooves formed in its upper face, means associated with thesocketed end of the strip for adjusting the distance of the grooves fromthe socket at will, said grooves cooperating with the lifting rod whenthe handle of the strip is raised and the strip swung about its pivot tofirst lift the needle off the record and then move it backward.

2. In a repeater device according to claim 1 in which the edge of thestrip adjacent the needle has a series of notches of generally V-shapeseparated from the grooves by a smooth portion and so located that theycooperate with the needle to aid in moving the needle backward.

3. In .a repeater device according to claim 1 in which the lifting rodforms parts of a needle assembly unit comprising a block having a needleclamped therein.

4. In a repeater device according to claim 1 in which the means foradjusting the distance of the .grooves from the socket at will comprisesan eccentric device the amplitude of rotation of which is limited by twostops.

5. In a repeater device according to claim 1 in which the strip isprovided adjacent its pivoted end with a laterally spaced supportarranged so that the line joining it with the pivot lies alwaysapproximately at right angles with the longitudinal axis of the strip.

6. In a repeater device according to claim 1 in which the casing of themachine carries a guiding and supporting member cooperating with thehandle end of the strip, said member having two support portions .atdifferent levels, one supporting the strip when the needle is inoperative relation to the record and the other when the needle s raisedoh the record.

JGSEPH LOUIS ROUTIN.

